The Liars Club Pgs.23-96

After reading this section from the novel, the author is pulling me into her stories as a child. She is very descriptive when describing what is coming to focus from her past. An example how the author is descriptive when writing is, "looking back from this distance, I can also see mother trapped in some way, stranded in her own silence. How small she seems in her silk dress, drinking stale coffee. i can see the panther pace back and forth behind the bars on the surface of her sunglasses, as if he were inside her peering out at us." When reading this quote I feel that i am at the zoo and I am witnessing this tragic memory. The poem by Rilke talking about the animals being trapped in the cage gives us a picture the way Mary describes her mother.
From this reading too, "Nervous" is used again and again. One time it was used to describe Mary's mother when taking care of her grandmother. I was surprised when the author explains the story of her cousin being considered "Nervous" after coming home for the war and shooting himself at such a young age. I am not surprised being in the war was the cause of his suicide. It is very tragic. "I always associate my grandmother's house with Mother's silence and the old woman's endless bossy prattle," this explains somewhat of why her mother is "Nervous" a lot of how it is taking a toll on her when her mother comes to live in their household when she is sick.
I can't wait to keep reading to hear about other stories from a strangers past during the 1960's.